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Summary

A possible former catch meadow of probable medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1960s as two shallow curvilinear earthwork ditches on a gentle south and east-facing slope below Pierce’s Farm, Upton Pyne.
Catch meadows are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream and passing it along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the slopes below.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Catch (water)meadow and Traditional farm buildings within the curtilege of Listed Building late medieval farmhouse (Grade II) at Pierces Farm

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX to XX - 1880 AD to 1964 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

The gutters are not depicted. Extant field boundaries cross the path of the gutters.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

The gutters are not depicted.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP 3154-3155 13-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354842.

Narrow and shallow curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible.

Fairy Surveys Ltd, 1964, FSL/6412 V, FSL/6412 V 1022-1023 07-FEB-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357115.

Narrow and shallow curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A possible former catch meadow of probable medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1960s as two shallow curvilinear earthwork ditches on a gentle south and east-facing slope below Pierce’s Farm, Upton Pyne.
Many catch meadow systems are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is likely that they were first developed in the medieval period and often continued in use into the twentieth century. Catch meadows provided a simple, inexpensive and effective form of irrigation. When irrigation was required water was diverted from a source such as a pond, river, spring or spring-fed stream and passed along the meadow slopes via one or more of the gutters, which was then caused to overflow. The lower, roughly parallel gutters then ‘caught’ and redistributed water passing it evenly over the surface of a meadow below. The gently flowing water prevented the ground freezing in winter and encouraged early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock, particularly important during the hungry gap of the March and April.
In this instance the water source is unclear, but was probably a spring rising in the vicinity of or within the farmstead at Pierce’s Farm. The gutters are not depicted and extant field boundaries cross their future course on the Tithe Map for Upton Pyne. The field boundaries have been removed but the gutters are not depicted on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch first edition map. The earthworks also appear recently cut or maintained in 1947. It therefore seems probable that the system was created in the late 19th or early 20th century.
The gutters are not identifiable as earthworks on more recent aerial photographs and have probably been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV354842	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1995. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP 3154-3155 13-APR-1947.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV357115	Aerial Photograph: Fairy Surveys Ltd. 1964. FSL/6412 V. Fairy Surveys Ltd aerial photograph. Photograph (Paper). FSL/6412 V 1022-1023 07-FEB-1964. [Mapped feature: #73067 ]

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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